7 questions answered during USI basketball media day

A digital walkthough of the new USI PAC arena. The new arena is scheduled to be open for the 2018-19 season.
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University of Southern Indiana's head coach Rodney Watson talks to his team during a time out in a game against Truman State in the quarterfinal round of the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament at the Ford Center.(Photo: Mike Lawrence | Courier & Press)Buy Photo

EVANSVILLE — With the first official practices set to start on Sunday, the University of Southern Indiana men's and women's basketball teams held a media day Wednesday at the Physical Activities Center.

Watson: Playing the Small College Basketball Hall of Fame so early in that very first week of November, that's really early to be playing that kind of competition. With that said, that's why from Labor Day on they have taken a different focus ... there has to be more work on their own and hopefully that's going to prove out on Sunday (when practice starts).

Now, your season isn't played in the first two weekends, but these are two pretty big weekends.

Stein: It seems like every year I've been here there's been some kind of change. One year it's like, "Now we have a schedule and we're really going to get deep into it," and then the next year it's changing again.

The real difference is we have a lot more split weekends where we're home Thursday and on the road Saturday or vice-versa.

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University of Southern Indiana women’s basketball head coach Rick Stein assembles his team at the top of the key as they prepare for the Great Lakes Valley Conference men’s and women’s basketball tournament, during practice Tuesday, February 28, 2017.(Photo: MIKE LAWRENCE / COURIER & PRESS)

Watson: We were in that position in 2009-10 and know what that's like. You go into games with a different M.O., but they're well-coached by Luke Reigel and definitely have a chip on their shoulder. We understand that. They're going to be a factor in this league on the road or at home.

Watson: He has adapted especially well school-wise. It sounds Pollyanna, but in college basketball, these guys really have to adapt to school. They have to really go to class, they have to really write their papers and take tests.

To see him getting comfortable in the school aspect takes so much off the basketball aspect and he has had a really good start to the semester. ... He is not going to redshirt. He shows signs as being one of our most athletic guys.

Stein: The thing is, every year you try to play a good schedule. But at this level, sometimes it's hit or miss. Our schedule last year was built off a group that was way above .500 the year before—they just didn't have as good a year.

One of the things we have this year is a lot more in-region games ... we're going to find out right away how we fit because almost every game in November is a region game.

Are the women looking forward to that?

Senior Morgan Dahlstrom: Oh, yes. Winning the games last year by 40 points was awesome and it's what we needed at that time but our strength of schedule this year is no joke and it's going to show. We have to rise up to the challenge every day.

Stein: When that two-minute video came out, boy, if that didn't give you goosebumps I don't know what will. It gave me goosebumps, it made me smile and does every time I see it.

The new arena is going to be one of the best in the country, if not the best. It's going to be fantastic. I'm excited about the future in it and hopefully all the success we've had here in the PAC carries over. If facilities are on recruit's minds, then we're going to have the best ones.